Wizard of Id (5/22/09)

I was under the impression that someone could only count the rings on a tree by studying the stump. I’m not suggesting the wizard in this strip saw Pinocchio in half, but I am saying that it’s unlikely he’s be able to “count the rings” simply by lifting the boy’s hat and staring at the top of his head. It’s also worth noting that the Pinocchio is this strip looks very much like a real boy and not like an animated marionette made almost entirely of wood. If this is truly meant to be a post-transformation Pinocchio, then the wizard’s ring-counting strategy comes across as even more suspect.